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Welcome to "The Throughput Connection"
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From the Tech Desk
When I speak with people responsible for industrial operations, I am reminded how much they have to balance. They must keep systems running, manage ageing infrastructure, introduce new technology and respond to growing cybersecurity demands, often with limited time and resources.
These are not abstract engineering challenges. They affect the people who maintain equipment, the teams who depend on reliable communications and the businesses that must keep operating.
At Throughput Technologies, I believe our job begins with listening and understanding. Before recommending a technology, we need to understand the environment, the operational requirement and the consequences of getting the decision wrong.
I have always believed that good engineering is about more than choosing the right equipment. It is about understanding how the pieces fit together, recognising their limitations and making decisions that stand up to real operating conditions.
That practical approach guides the work we do with our clients and technology partners. It also shapes the information we share, because informed decisions begin with a clear understanding of the problem. Sharing knowledge helps us ask better questions, challenge assumptions and identify opportunities to improve the way industrial systems perform.
In this issue, we explore several challenges facing industrial communications today. I hope you find something useful to take back to your own operation.
Onwards,
Anton van der Westhuizen
NIS2 and the South African Manufacturer
Why Industrial Cybersecurity Now Matters
European cybersecurity requirements are changing how organisations assess risk across their supply chains. For South African manufacturers connected to international customers, the implications extend beyond the IT department to the industrial networks, control systems and remote connections on which production depends.
The EU's NIS2 Directive establishes cybersecurity and incident-management obligations for entities within its scope. A South African company is not automatically subject to NIS2 simply because it exports to Europe. Direct applicability depends on the organisation's activities, circumstances and the relevant legal framework. However, customers and supply-chain partners may impose security requirements that affect South African suppliers commercially.
From Compliance to Operational Readiness
Manufacturers need to understand both their legal obligations and the expectations placed on them by customers. They also need to consider the operational consequences of a cyber incident: disrupted production, unavailable control systems, compromised remote access or the loss of visibility across a process.
South Africa's Critical Infrastructure Protection Act, Cybercrimes Act and Protection of Personal Information Act address different aspects of the local legal environment. They should not be treated as interchangeable with NIS2 or as a single, universal industrial cybersecurity standard.
For operational technology, practical preparation begins with knowing which systems are connected, controlling access, understanding network boundaries and establishing how incidents will be detected and managed.
Security Across the Communications Architecture
Industrial networking, protocol integration and remote access each present different considerations. Secure network infrastructure can support segmentation and controlled communications. Solutions such as Secomea's OT remote-access platform can help organisations govern external access by service providers and engineers. Neither capability, on its own, establishes compliance or secures an entire environment.
The same principle applies to legacy equipment and connected production systems. Their risks must be assessed in the context of the wider architecture.
For South African manufacturers, the useful starting point is not a product list or a regulatory acronym. It is a clear assessment of applicable obligations, customer requirements and operational exposure, followed by a proportionate plan to address the risks.
Connecting Legacy Automation to New Industrial Applications
Extending established automation does not always require replacing existing equipment. Protocol conversion and edge computing can connect legacy control systems to newer industrial networks, enabling defined data exchange and local processing where system requirements permit.
Protocol Conversion and Edge Applications
The Belden ProSoft Technology ProLinx Edge Gateway ELX3 combines industrial protocol conversion with edge-computing capability. It supports EtherNet/IP to Modbus TCP/IP conversion and custom applications packaged in Docker containers. This allows data exchange and local processing to be combined in one industrial-grade device, subject to the requirements of the application. Compatibility and performance must be confirmed for the intended installation.
Integration Requires More Than a Gateway
A gateway bridges a defined communications boundary, but does not resolve every integration challenge. Engineers must determine which data is required, how it is mapped, how failures are handled, and how the connection affects availability and security.
These considerations are important when integrating legacy PLCs and SCADA systems with newer data applications. A successful connection must also be maintainable and suited to the operating environment. ProSoft Technology addresses protocol conversion and industrial system integration. The objective is to preserve established automation where practical while enabling controlled, useful data exchange between systems that need to work together.
Infrastructure Already in the Ground
Replacing industrial communications infrastructure can be costly and disruptive. Existing copper or fibre may still be fit for purpose - provided it meets the application's requirements.
FlexDSL specialises in industrial data transmission, including SHDSL technologies, fibre connectivity and Ethernet extension. Its GigaFlex SHDSL equipment supports applications such as SCADA and telecontrol, where remote controllers, sensors and monitoring systems exchange data across distributed infrastructure.
Depending on the product and configuration, these technologies can extend communications over existing copper pairs or connect different transmission environments. Potential applications include electricity and water networks, pipelines, railways and road transport, where communications links may span considerable distances or operate in demanding conditions.
Assess Before Retaining
However, retaining existing infrastructure should never be an automatic decision. Cable condition, transmission capacity, reliability, distance and security implications all need to be assessed against the actual application. An existing link may be entirely adequate for one requirement but unsuitable for another.
Where the infrastructure remains fit for purpose, an appropriate transmission solution can extend its useful life and avoid unnecessary civil works, expense and operational disruption. Where it cannot meet the required performance, replacement may be the more practical choice.
The engineering priority is to establish what the application needs, determine what the existing link can reliably deliver, and select the transmission approach on evidence rather than age alone.
Success Story
Better Passenger Connectivity at 300 km/h
Reliable onboard Wi-Fi at high speed depends on more than internet access. It requires a communications architecture that can support multiple passengers and devices under demanding rail operating conditions.
Passengers increasingly expect reliable onboard Wi-Fi throughout a rail journey. Delivering it on a high-speed train, however, requires more than a strong internet connection. The onboard network must support many devices in a confined environment while operating under demanding rail conditions.
Italy's high-speed operator Italo worked with Nomad Digital to upgrade its onboard connectivity. The project evaluated the new approach on two trains before wider deployment, testing performance under real operating conditions. A key element was the use of Westermo Ibex 1510 Wi-Fi 6 access points, selected by Nomad Digital for their suitability for rail applications. These were paired with rooftop antenna configurations using multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) technology to improve signal quality.
Measuring the Difference
Project results reported during the proof-of-concept phase showed download speeds increasing by up to 460%, upload speeds improving by more than 160%, web page loading times falling by nearly 80% and latency reducing by almost 30%, compared with the legacy onboard system.
Passenger feedback also indicated an improvement in perceived Wi-Fi quality and usage.
The case illustrates how the passenger experience depends on the performance of the underlying communications infrastructure. Wireless access points are only one part of the solution. Mobile connectivity, antennas, onboard architecture and system integration all influence the result.
For rail operators elsewhere, including those modernising passenger services in Africa, the lesson is relevant: define the required experience, test under real operating conditions and design the communications platform to accommodate future demands.
This overseas project is not a South African deployment. Its value lies in demonstrating how carefully selected rail-grade networking components can contribute to a wider connectivity solution.
Electra Mining Africa: Beyond Mining
Electra Mining Africa this year created an opportunity for TT to engage with people across the industrial sector and explore the challenges shaping their operations.
Conversations extended beyond mining into oil and gas, utilities, transportation, engineering and industrial automation. Different sectors brought different priorities, but recurring concerns emerged: connecting remote assets, maintaining reliable communications in demanding environments, integrating legacy infrastructure and securing remote access. The exhibition brought together a broad mix of technical expertise, practical challenges and perspectives on how industrial operations are evolving. There was a strong energy around the exchange of ideas, the search for workable solutions and the need to make connected systems perform reliably in real operating conditions.
These discussions reinforced a central point: industrial communications are not simply about connecting devices. They must support operational performance, visibility and resilience across complex environments.
The exhibition also provided an opportunity to reconnect with customers, understand emerging requirements and discuss how industrial networking technologies can address practical engineering needs.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to exchange ideas and share their challenges.
Modernising Infrastructure without Losing Sight of the Network
Modernising South Africa's infrastructure means integrating new technology without compromising the reliability, visibility or manageability of established systems.
South Africa's infrastructure modernisation spans electricity, water, rail, mining and manufacturing. New equipment, digital monitoring and automation can improve visibility and operational capability. But each new asset must communicate with systems already in service, often across long distances, mixed technologies and demanding physical environments. The communications network is not simply the connection between devices. It is part of the operating architecture.
The Integration Challenge
A new pumping station may need to exchange data with an established supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. A mine may need reliable links between remote infrastructure and its control centre. A rail operator may need to integrate new communications equipment without disrupting existing services. These projects can involve different protocols, transmission media, network topologies and equipment lifecycles. If those differences are not understood early, integration can introduce additional gateways, inconsistent configurations and gaps in monitoring or fault diagnosis.
Replacing every existing component is not necessarily the best answer. Nor is retaining legacy equipment without assessing its condition, performance and security implications. The engineering decision depends on the operational requirement, available infrastructure and cost and risk of each option.
Design Before Devices
A resilient design begins by defining what must communicate, how much data must be carried, what response times are required and what happens when a link or device fails. Security, remote access, environmental conditions and future expansion also need consideration.
Different technologies address different parts of the problem. Industrial networking connects and manages traffic. Protocol gateways support interoperability between systems. Fibre, copper and wireless technologies provide different transmission options. Secure remote-access tools help govern connections from outside the operational environment. The challenge is to make these elements work as a coherent system.
For South African infrastructure owners and operators, effective modernisation is not measured solely by the equipment installed. It is measured by whether the resulting communications architecture supports dependable operation, manageable maintenance and future development.
Did You Know?
Redundancy and resilience are not the same.
A backup link is useful, but the network must also detect failures and recover correctly. The topology, redundancy protocol and failure behaviour all influence whether communications remain available.
Two devices can use Ethernet and still speak different industrial protocols.
Protocol gateways can bridge defined differences between systems, allowing selected data to pass between them. Correct mapping, configuration and testing remain essential.
Existing copper infrastructure may still have a role in a modern network.
Industrial transmission technologies such as SHDSL can carry data over suitable copper pairs. Whether reuse makes sense depends on cable condition, distance, bandwidth requirements and the application.